Far infrared sauna has become a popular therapy for relaxation and relief. While people may love it for all the beauty benefits, one cannot simply overlook its positive effect on health and well being.

One of its major health benefits is its detoxification qualities. Many people, however, are unaware of detox sauna health benefits and consider far infrared sauna as a luxurious indulgence.

So, before we discuss detox sauna health benefits any further, let us first take an overview of what far infrared sauna actually is and how it is different than other forms of sauna.

What is Far Infrared Sauna?

Saunas are quite common all around the world but a far infrared sauna is different than the traditional sauna. Instead of steam or other direct heat source, this type of sauna uses invisible infrared light to heat the body.

Infrared light generates dry gentle and humid heat which penetrates 1 ½ to 2 inches into the skin while keeping the surrounding temperature around 32 to 48 degrees Celsius.

In contrast to this, heat in traditional sauna can be harsh and can raise the temperature up towards 60 degrees celsius. That is why it is more comfortable as well as more beneficial even for people who are allergic or sensitive to too much heat.

On average, you burn about 600 to 900 calories in just 30 to 40 minutes. This means you will break more sweat than an athlete does during his/her everyday workout.

Detox Sauna Benefits

Far infrared sauna has countless benefits, which we will discuss later, but the most popular usage is as a detox therapy.

According to United States Center for Disease Control, 80 percent of all diseases are caused by over exposure to toxins that enter our body through our environment and food. It is a proven fact that elimination of these toxins from our body marginally lowers the chances of infections as well as chronic diseases such as cancer. In other words, it actually strengthens our immune system and body's natural defence against diseases.

Far infrared sauna is perhaps one of the few alternate treatments that are largely hailed by doctors and physicians. This is largely because of the positive results of tests and analysis carried out by medical professionals. Analysis revealed that the sweat produced by infrared heat is composed 80 to 85 percent of water and 15 to 20 percent of toxins. These toxins include heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury, sulphuric acid, uric acid, ammonia, fat soluble toxins, sodium and traces of other minerals as well.

In contrast to these figures, the same amount of sweat produced due to other reasons is only able to excrete 3 percent of toxins from our body.

Another important fact about detoxification with far infrared sauna therapy is that it occurs at a cellular level. The appropriate amount of heat gently expands the capillaries, which helps in increasing oxygenation and regeneration of the blood. As a result, all of our organs receive a deeply detoxified supply of blood. This results in improved and detoxified supply of blood to all the organs and facilitates better functionality of our body's internal systems.

Additional Advantages

Although proper detoxification starts a chain reaction of improvement in our health and body, the therapy is also used as a treatment for several specific health issues and condition. Some of the other benefits you may expect from far infrared sauna are as follows.

• Relaxes muscle and tissues

• Improves sleep

• Controls blood pressure

• Improves cardiovascular function

• Improves blood circulation

• Burn calories and excess fat

• Relieves muscle aches and pains

• Heals wounds

• Beautifies skin & fights aging

Since far infrared brings all the healthy benefits of sunlight while eliminating the harmful effects, it is regarded as a completely safe treatment for everyone. However, it is not limited to people with weight or health issues. Anyone who wishes to adopt a healthier lifestyle may include far infrared sauna in their monthly health regiment.

In short, far infrared sauna will unlock your door to a healthier life. Just make sure you drink a lot of water in order to eliminate more toxins during the session.

People who are insulin resistant are at higher risk for nerve changes associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Since chromium supplementation improves glucose handling in diabetics, researchers at the University of Cincinnati investigated the effects of chromium supplementation on cognition in 26 older adults who receive either chromium picolinate (CrPic) or placebos for threemonths.

Memory and depression were measured before treatment and during the final week of the study. Results showed that chromium supplementation improved learning, recall, and recognition memory tasks. In addition, there was improved activationfor the CrPic subjects in several brain centers, including the right thalamic, right temporal, right posterior parietal, and bifrontalregions.

The researchers conclude that, "these findings suggest that supplementation with CrPic can enhance cognitive inhibitory control and cerebral function in older adults at risk for neurodegeneration".

Supplementation of diabetic mice with chromium-rich yeast lowered blood cholesterol levels and normalized insulin levels, possibly by protecting pancreatic cells from inflammation and fibrosis, according to a study from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science in Beijing.

We are seeing Gluten Free foods more and more, in supermarkets, health shops and even Restaurants due to the increase in people suffering from gluten intolerance and celiac disease.

Is gluten really an issue ? Should we be concerned about giving our children gluten and eating it ourselves?

CELIAC DISEASE or COELIAC

Most of us have heard of Celiac Disease. This condition is considered to be an auto immune disease and for individuals with Celiac disease, eating Gluten can be catastrophic. Gluten severely damages the digestive tracts ability to absorb nutrients, resulting in malnutrition. Sufferers often experience a variety of symptoms including bloating ,pain and fatigue. However many people with celiac disease have no obvious symptoms at all ,allowing the disease to go undiagnosed for many years.

Although it has been thought of as a disease from childhood,for many people the disease will come seemingly out of nowhere, in adulthood. Celiac disease is caused by the immune system reacting to gliaden which is a protein in gluten This reaction results in the immune system attacking the intestinal wall lining resulting in inflammation and severe damage to the microvilli lining the small bowel.

A diagnosis is often confirmed following a biopsy, gliaden antibody test and resolution of symptoms with elimination of gluten.

What is Gluten Intolerance?

So many people report an improvement or elimination of general and gastric symptoms when they take gluten out of the diet completely. These people may not have the genetic susceptibility or positive antibodies and they have a normal looking bowel on investigation.

What Can be Going On?

Recent research has revealed some thought provoking information on gluten which may help to make sense of why so many people suffer from gluten intolerance.

Approximately 10,000 years ago human beings started to change from a more nomadic lifestyle to a more settled lifestyle. The first town in the world was supposedly built approx 9000 years ago. With this change in lifestyle came the beginning of agriculture and this gradually spread over the globe to what we have today.

The grains from the past ,however, are different genetically than what we have today. For Example Wheat has gone from having 28 chromosomes and 100,000 genes to 42 chromosomes and 150.000 genes. Also in ancient times such as ancient Egypt ,only the top of the wheat plant was used, unlike today when the whole plant is used.

It is when we ingest gluten that the interesting scenario happens in our digestive tract. The gluten is unable to be broken down as no enzyme is dedicated to, or strong enough to do this, in humans or any animal tested.

The immune cells in the digestive tract respond to the gluten as a foreign invader like a parasite or bacteria and start initiating an immune response. This response will include an inflammatory response with the release of chemicals from the white cells in an attempt to destroy the foreign body. It is definitely not ideal to have an ongoing inflammatory response in the gut . We know that many diseases can be triggered from sustained inflammation eg cancer.

At the same time specialised cells in the lumen(wall) of the digestive tract release a chemical called zonulin which opens up the tight junctions of the intestinal wall causing gut permeability or leaky gut. Humans are the only species which produce zonulin.

Leaky gut will allow toxins from the gut to spread into the systemic circulation and liver and will considerably increase the risk of autoimmune and other disease. Some studies have even linked leaky gut to Autism and Schizophrenia.

Serum zonulin is found to be increased in irritable bowel syndrome and leaky gut is present in many conditions including asthma ,fatty liver, metabolic syndrome and many other autoimmune diseases

This release of zonulin happens in all humans who ingest gluten Not just those who have celiac disease.

Knowing this ,do we want or need to eat gluten or not ?. We all know people who seem to have no problems with eating it or do they ?. Is eating gluten a bit like a ticking time bomb that will eventually result in us getting some kind of health condition .

Researchers at the University of California, LA conducted a research to address the potential of Omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to slow the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and possibly vascular dementia.

The risk for dementia, a major contributor to incapacitation and institutionalization, rises rapidly as people age, doubling every 5 years after age 65. Tens of millions of new Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementia cases are projected as elderly populations increase around the world, creating a projected dementia epidemic for which most nations are not prepared.

Researchers believed that "there is an urgent need for prevention approaches that are safe, effective, and affordable. This review addresses the potential of one promising candidate, the omega 3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which appears to slow pathogenesis of AD and possibly vascular dementia." DHA is pleiotropic, acting at multiple steps to reduce the production of the beta-amyloid peptide, widely believed to initiate AD. DHA moderates some of the kinases that hyperphosphorylate the tau-protein, a component of the neurofibrillary tangle.

DHA may help suppress insulin/neurotrophic factor signaling deficits, neuroinflammation, and oxidative damage that contribute to synaptic loss and neuronal dysfunction in dementia. Researchers conclude that DHA increases brain levels of neuroprotective brain-derived neurotrophic factor and reduces the omega 6 fatty acid arachidonate and its prostaglandin metabolites that have been implicated in promoting AD. Clinical trials suggest that DHA or fish oil alone can slow early stages of progression, but these effects may be apolipoprotein E enotype specific, and larger trials with very early stages are required to prove efficacy. "We advocate early intervention in a prodromal period with nutrigenomically defined subjects with an appropriately designed nutritional supplement, including DHA and antioxidants" reasearchers state.

Numerous studies support role of DHA on cognition and synaptic integrity. In another recent study researchers at the University of Lorraine in France conclude from a review of the research that the omega-3 fat DHA is one of the "..most valuable diet ingredients whose neuroprotective properties could be crucial for designing nutrition-based strategies able to prevent Alzheimer's disease." DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) makes up a critical component of nerve cell membranes, allowing them more fluidity and enhancing nerve cell communication, as well as increasing their survival, thus reducing risk for degeneration associated with dementia.

Ian Shaw doesn't use cling film to wrap his sandwiches. He prefers greaseproof paper. He also won't microwave food in plastic containers. And he would never, ever, feed a baby with a plastic bottle made with a chemical called Bisphenol-A.

"I tend not to use plastics for packaging," says the University of Canterbury professor of toxicology.

So there was some amusement when one of his PhD students brought him an unexpected Christmas present.

"A student came with an article saying there was environmental estrogen in some greaseproof papers. It made his day."

Shaw's speciality is the mechanisms and impact of environmental chemicals on human health - in particular those that mimic hormones, such as the female hormone estrogen, known as endocrine disrupters.

With something like 80,000 synthetic chemicals around us and 1000 new chemicals created every year, endocrine disrupters are everywhere and often turn up where you least expect them. So Shaw isn't surprised that there may be some in his wrapped lunch.

But he is concerned that regulatory authorities aren't taking the wider issue seriously.

"What we need to do is decrease the residues of these compounds in our diet. It's crucially important we do that."

It's a view that gets him offside with the Food Safety Authority, especially in relation to one of the most ubiquitous endocrine disrupters in the environment - Bisphenol-A or BPA.

It's widely used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic drink bottles and packaging, and in the lacquer that lines food and drink cans. BPA leaches, in small amounts, into the food and drink contained by these linings and plastics.

The end result is that tiny amounts of BPA end up in us.

Tests have consistently found the chemical in blood, urine, umbilical cord blood and in the amniotic fluid protecting a foetus.

The NZFSA says BPA is safe as long as no one exceeds the "Tolerable Daily Intake" level of 0.05mg per kilogram of bodyweight per day.

Shaw, who is a member of NZFSA's Food Safety Academy, disagrees. He believes there are good reasons to be limiting exposure to BPA even at low levels.

"I'm not the sort of person who likes to ban everything, but I am the sort of person who likes to minimise exposure to compounds that might have a risk. I think the evidence is overwhelming that these compounds are having an effect on humans even if we can't prove it absolutely."

He is not alone:

* Last month the head of the United States federal agency studying BPA safety said pregnant women, infants and children should avoid ingesting the chemical.

* Last September Breast Cancer UK launched a "No More BPA" campaign citing studies that showed pre-birth and early exposures could lead to changes which predispose the body to develop breast cancer later in life.

* In July a group of French senators tabled a bill calling for a ban on the use of BPA in food contact materials.

* In October 2008 the Canadian Government announced it would prohibit the importation or sale of bisphenol-A in bottles and food packaging for infants and newborns.

The problem with chemicals like BPA is that they are great pretenders - similar in their molecular structure to hormones, particularly the female hormone estrogen.

So good is their disguise, they can fool the body into believing it is reacting to a natural hormone. The sort of health problems that can result from such an interaction include reduced sperm count, early puberty in girls and increased incidence of breast and testicular cancer.

Importantly, the chemicals don't necessarily need to be at high levels to have an effect. The NZFSA points out on its website that "some studies in laboratory animals suggest that low levels of [consumed] BPA may have an effect on the reproductive system".

But it then goes on to say "similar consequences in consumers at these low concentrations are considered unlikely because BPA is rapidly inactivated and then excreted in the urine".

Shaw says that's a naive argument. "It's naive because the fact that it's in urine means we've been exposed to it. It's gone through us and it might have had its effect en route."

It also doesn't mean that the chemical has been entirely expelled from the body. "It's a steady state situation we are constantly exposed to every day and we're constantly excreting every day which means we've got a constant level in our blood. In other words there is an additive effect. If you've got infinitesimally tiny concentrations but an awful lot of infinitesimal concentrations they add up to a much higher concentration that could have a real impact."

Shaw and his researchers have looked at the level of estrogenic compounds in an everyday New Zealand diet and found when the hundreds of different types - both natural and artificial - are added up there is a circulating level of estrogenic chemicals that is likely to have pharmacological effect. Two chemicals - BPA and genistein - stand out at relatively high levels. Genistein is a naturally occurring estrogen receptor found in a number of plants including fava (broad) beans and soybeans.

The array of estrogenic compounds is what makes proving cause and effect so difficult, plus the fact that the effect often occurs several years or even decades after the exposure. Which is why the research to date remains inconclusive. Trying to show, for example, that precocious puberty is related to exposure to a particular environmental estrogen is an almost impossible research task because there are so many variables. On the other hand, it's well documented that the human sperm count in New Zealand is in decline and it's not hard to reach the conclusion that endocrine-disrupting chemicals are to blame.

"It's scientific hearsay in a way," says Shaw. "We know we're getting much more exposure to these chemicals and we know we're getting a greater incidence of these weird effects on sexual development. It seems they are connected."

Shaw says a key area of research is whether chemicals like BPA and genistein cross the placenta and, if they do, what the impact is on the developing foetus. "The hypothesis is that if you get exposed during that key decision-making period in foetal development it could be crucially important - it could decide whether the foetus develops male or female characteristics."

John Reeve of the NZFSA is unconvinced by Shaw's case. "Personally I didn't agree with him in terms of the toxicology. You can theorise there might be a problem but we haven't got any data yet." Reeve argues that BPA is not a particularly good endocrine disrupter. "This is where a lot of the problem is in this whole area of endocrine disrupters. You can actually show chemicals do have an effect there, but often the effect is extremely low compared to the level of estrogens that are actually floating around in the body already."

As Reeves sees it, the question is whether the effect is enough to cause a change in the physiology of an animal. "That's where we would go back and look at the animal studies and they just don't throw up any evidence which would suggest you have got a problem."

But animal studies showing adverse effects from BPA were enough to convince Canadian regulators that high-risk groups such as babies ought to be protected. Last year Reeve also told the Food Safety Academy - the NZFSA's independent experts - that a panel assembled by the United States' National Toxicology Programme had reviewed all available data on BPA and concluded that "for some developmental outcomes for exposed infants and foetuses, there is some concern as to the safety of the levels of BPA leaching out of plastics and can linings into infant foods".

The NZFSA is also awaiting data commissioned by the United States Food and Drug Administration to resolve issues that have been raised regarding previous assessments on the safety of BPA.

Shaw, who admits he has the biased viewpoint of "someone who is interested in the biochemical effects of these compunds in people", says the way forward is to ask the question whether we really need these compounds to pack our foods in. He says it's important to be careful because food packaging is crucially important to the decrease in food-borne illness.

"I would want a question to the industry to say, 'Can you replace this packaging with something else?"'

He'd suggest a phase-out of the old for viable alternatives over something like a five-year period - assuming of course the new packaging is thoroughly tested to make sure it isn't something worse.

Shaw says if the goal is to decrease the risk of exposure to estrogenic compounds, decreasing BPA in food packaging would help achieve that, because it reduces our overall exposure.

On the other hand there are other chemicals that are naturally in food like genistein.

"Should we be saying to people you shouldn't eat soy?", Shaw asks. "Of course you shouldn't. But what we might be saying is, 'Should we really be using quite as much soy as we currently are in foods?"'. The example Shaw uses is bread in New Zealand which almost always includes soy.

So is NZFSA having such a dialogue about replacing BPA with our plastics industry?

"As there is currently no evidence of a food safety issue there is no need for NZFSA to discuss BPA with manufacturers. Any decision to use alternative materials is purely commercial," says Reeve. Food safety through market forces.

In part, it is already happening. Consumer NZ noted on its website in March that the six largest manufacturers of baby bottles in the United States said they would stop selling products made with BPA.

"This was after politicians asked them to voluntarily stop using the chemical - a decision made easier by major retailers no longer selling these bottles."

Consumer NZ says it expects such decisions to have a flow-on effect here. To some extent that is happening with BPA-free baby bottles and sports drinks bottles available to savvy shoppers.

As for getting advice about the issues involved, it isn't straightforward. Plunket, for example, carries no information about BPA-free bottles on its website. When mothers ask, it refers them to NZFSA.

- Chris Barton

* * *

Bottle importer gets mixed messages

Mark Ward got an offer he couldn't refuse. In just two shipments, he nearly cleaned out his supplier's entire North American stock of plastic drink bottles. What sane businessman would turn down 85 per cent off?

About 18 months ago, Ward, owner of Extreme Gear, the largest importer of recreational sports water bottles in New Zealand, bought the remainder of Camelbak brand drink bottles that still contained BPA. His American supplier, Camelbak, decided to switch over to a new plastic called Triton which was easier to mould and could handle new designs and colours.

What Camelbak didn't make clear is that North American consumers have become alert to the potential health risks of BPA and so the environmentally conscious supplier had decided to switch to a new BPA-free plastic. However, their old stock still needed a new home.

Ward bought 130,000 bottles from the US retailer, later scooping up most of Canada's unwanted BPA stock too, the same bottles he'd bought in the past.

The issue of BPA wasn't yet on Ward's radar. He had read a little about BPA health risks but nothing was conclusive. When he realised what he had, Ward attempted to educate himself.

Should he pull them? Send them back? He considers himself an environmentalist and felt strongly that re-usable lifestyle bottles were better than throwaway ones. Ward hoped to bring the retail price down for consumers.

He went to New Zealand Food Safety [NZFSA] and asked for guidance. They told him BPA was not banned in New Zealand and that they were not in a position to tell him, as a commercial supplier, what to do. "NZSFA were adamant that there was no link to cancer. They were adamant there was no danger. We used that as a yardstick," Ward says. Finding conflicting reports from scientists and industry studies, he decided to go ahead and sell the bottles here.

Today, having seen the tide turn strongly against BPA in other markets, he is clearly frustrated:

I'm disillusioned with the food safety website and look at their mission statement and who they are. They are supposed to protect consumers."

Ward is also the distributor for the new BPA-free bottles and says the market in New Zealand buying them up first and fastest is Queenstown, where international tourists have been exposed to this issue. "They know what they want, they are informed, educated." says Ward.

"The hard thing for me," he says, "is I found it really difficult to find a credible source that tells it like it is. Somebody who is willing to stand up and say it is dangerous now."

He's still waiting for that definitive answer.

Would he do it again, knowing what he knows now? Ward's response: a firm "no."

A healthy thyroid gland is essential for our overall well being. The purpose of this gland is to produce two important hormones which play a very important role in maintaining body metabolism regardless of age and gender. These two hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine namely, affect the health and function of each and every cell in our body.

Therefore, any kind of thyroid dysfunction may have a negative influence on a cellular level. One of the most common thyroid related dysfunction in this aspect is hypothyroidism.

Understanding Hypothyroidism or under active thyroid

According to a survey, 80% of all thyroid cases are diagnosed as hypothyroid. In US, there are around 30,000,000 people suffering from a thyroid disorder. Half of these cases, however, remain undiagnosed. Hypothyroidism indicates underactive thyroid gland which in turn causes low production of thyroid hormones. This state disturbs the body metabolism and slows down the body's function.

There are many causes of hypothyroidism. People who have a family history of thyroid disease or those who suffer from autoimmune disease are more likely to develop this condition. Moreover, some dietary factors such as too much or too less iodine intake can also lead to this problem.

Early Detection & Treatment

There is no sure-shot cure for thyroid disorder especially hypothyroid. However, with early diagnosis and proper treatment, the level of thyroid production can be controlled to an extent. Unfortunately, as we have mentioned earlier, a large percentage of these cases often go undiagnosed until it's too late.

It essential that people are aware of common hypothyroid symptoms so that they able to detect any thyroid problem and seek medical help before it's too late. Here is a list of few basic questions you must ask yourself.

• Do you feel tired, lethargic and fatigued most of the time?

• Does your skin and hair remain dry?

• Do you feel sleep and dizzy all the time?

• Do feel constantly cold?

• Are your muscles getting weak and out of tone?

• Do you experience frequent depression and mood swings?

• Are you facing trouble in memorizing things?

• Is your voice getting hoarse or deep?

• Do you suffer from muscle and joint pain?

• Are you losing your sex drive?

• Do you bump into things while walking (unsteady gait)?

• Are you gaining weight too quickly and easily?

These are only a few of the symptoms but if your answer is 'YES' for most of these questions, you should consult a physician as soon as possible. A doctor will suggest a hypothyroid test to check the level of thyroid hormones in your blood. A lower thyroid hormone indicates an under active thyroid.

Common Thyroid Tests

Thyroflex Thyroid Test is one of the most latest and accurate way of testing for hypothyroid. Before Thyroflex, two of the most common ways of testing were thyroid blood test and body basal temperature test.

Both of these tests had their limitations and that is why a number of cases remained under diagnosed or misdiagnosed. For example, Thyroid Blood tests calculates the amount of thyroid hormone in blood but does not define whether the hormones are working or not. On the other hand, Body Basal Temperature test requires a patient's temperature to be taken first thing in the morning for several days. A little lapse of timing can lead to ambiguous and inaccurate result.

In contrast to both of these tests, Thyroflex thyroid test is 98.5% accurate

Thyroflex Thyroid Test

Thyroflex thyroid test is safe, non-invasive, accurate, and instant way to detect hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism (over active thyroid gland). There are three main reflexes in our body which directly reflect thyroid function in our body; brachioradials, achilles, and stapedial.

The brachioradials reflex present in our forearm is the easiest to access and therefore it is used to test thyroid function through Thyroflex. Slow reflexes indicate an underactive thyroid and low thyroid function. Thyroflex measures the response time taken by brachioradials reflex after being hit by a device. If the time exceeds 150 ms, the patient is suffering from hypothyroidism. Response time ranging between 50 to 100 ms indicates an optimal thyroid function.

The maximum time required for Thyroflex thyroid test is not more than 4 minutes. Other than assessing the thyroid function, Thyroflex also predicts the resting metabolic rate i.e. the amount of calories your body is burning per day.

Thyroflex thyroid test is definitely one major step in correct diagnosis and detection of thyroid related problems. If you think you suffer from hypothyroidism or related condition, you must consider taking the Thyroflex thyroid test in order to get proper treatment from your physician.

Hypothyroidism affects nearly 4% of the population in the U.S. and is most common in women after childbirth. These statistics make it one of the most common metabolic diseases in the western world. But what is hypothyroid?

Quite simply, it is the under functioning of the thyroid gland - a butterfly shaped gland that sits at the front of the neck. The thyroid gland secretes hormones which control metabolism and energy production. When thyroid hormones are too low in the body, various organs and cellular functions throughout the body begin to slow down. Often hypothyroidism is often not a disease in itself, however, but a disease of a deeper, underlying condition, and symptoms of low thyroid function require a full diagnosis.

Symptoms of an under active thyroid

Hypothyroidism may present with a wide variety of symptoms, some of which are not obvious or alarming to begin with. The reduction in thyroid hormone causes a person's basal metabolic rate (BMR) to reduce significantly. As the BMR goes down, so too does mood, energy, and body temperature. A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopaedia lists two categories of symptoms for hypothyroid patients: early symptoms and late symptoms. Early symptoms may occur in the beginning or mild stages of the condition, where late symptoms occur as thyroid problems progress to a more severe stage.

In the early symptoms everything begins to slow down and you may feel weak, fatigued, and show symptoms similar to anaemia. It is not uncommon to experience increased cold sensitivity, low libido, dry skin, brittle fingernails, joint stiffness, constipation and depression. Weight gain is another possible, and highly concerning, symptom of an under active thyroid -- but according to The American Thyroid Association, thyroid hormones are not the only chemical regulators of calorie metabolism. For this reason, not all patients diagnosed with hypothyroidism experience weight gain.

Late symptoms include the visible growth of the thyroid gland, known as a goitre, which in turn may also cause a deepening of the voice, hoarseness and even slow speech. Thinning eyebrows (loss of up to 1/3 of the outer eyebrow is possible), swelling of the hands, feet and face, and low body temperature are other late symptoms.

Causes

Iodine deficiency was once the most common cause of under active thyroid. Iodine is a mineral that is required in minute quantities as an ingredient for manufacturing thyroid hormone. According to researchers from Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health in Zurich, Switzerland, 29% of school-aged children across the globe are still not getting enough iodine in their diet, despite worldwide efforts to fortify table salt with increased iodine. Increasing iodine in the diet goes a long way to preventing and treating hypothyroidism.

Other Nutrients crucial to normal Thyroid function , are Zinc and Selenium , therefore deficiencies in these nutrients are likely to compromise Thyroid function

Another highly significant contributing factor for Hypothyroidism is the health of the adrenal glands.

Constant stress, which is common in our society, will influence the secretion of the Adrenal Hormones

Adrenalin and cortisol , which through a very sensitive biofeedback system will in turn effect Thyroid Hormone output.

The most common cause of under active thyroid function is Hashimoto's Disease. Hashimoto's Disease is a condition of the immune system, where white blood cells begin to attack the thyroid gland directly. Sufferers of Hashimoto's Disease require a blood test to confirm their diagnosis, and they are also at more risk of other metabolic and autoimmune diseases, including diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Women during pregnancy and menopause are more at risk of experiencing low thyroid function. High levels of oestrogen and progesterone have a suppressive action on the thyroid gland. Women on hormone replacement therapies are particularly at risk for developing thyroid problems. But the effects of oestrogen and progesterone on thyroid function is not just an issue for women. Men with increased body fat, especially around the waist, may have increased oestrogen levels.

In addition, researchers from the Boston University Medical Center, U.S.A., found various pollutants and pesticides (such as bisphenols, PCBs, dioxins and triclosan) have significant oestrogenic activity in the human body and may suppress thyroid function indirectly.

Medications

While it is important to diagnose what underlying factors may be behind an under active thyroid gland, modern medicine offers little in the way of treatment. Prescription medications cannot reverse damage done to the thyroid gland, or stimulate the thyroid to perform better. The mainstay of pharmaceutical treatment is artificial hormone therapy -- levothyroxine, a synthetic thyroid hormone -- that treats and possibly reverses many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism, if not the cause itself.

Alternative Medicine

Today seaweed is one of the most popular complementary therapies for hypothyroidism, due to its high natural iodine content. While Nori is a popular wholefood that can be ingested each day through sushi rolls, it is not the highest source of iodine in the marine world. Deep sea varieties of seaweed, such as brown kelp, are the richest sources of iodine in the world. Many types of brown kelp, including Giant Kelp, Bull Kelp and Bladderwrack, are edible and can be ingested safely, but Bladderwrack is often considered the best for its combination of iodine and natural thyroid-hormone-precursors.

Be cautious when using seaweed products however -- studies from Japan show that people with Hashimoto's disease and/or goitre are often unable to metabolise high doses of iodine in a healthy way, and may experience some negative side effects.

Another candidate for improving thyroid function is Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) -- a herb used in Indian and Chinese medicine for fatigue, libido, anaemia and immune function. Researchers from D.A. University in India discovered that extracts of Ashwagandha stimulated increased thyroid hormones in animal test subjects significantly, as well as various antioxidants and anti-inflammatory chemicals. Ashwagandha is associated with few side effects and generally is regarded as safe and non-toxic.

Alternative Medicine can have a huge impact on Hypothyroidism which often goes undiagnosed for years.

The standard Blood tests run by GPs which will usually involve testing TSH, T3 and T4 often will show levels in the normal range resulting in a diagnosis of Normal Thyroid Function when in fact the Thyroid is clearly under functioning. Alternative medicine Practitioners will assess the whole body, including any deficiencies or imbalances in nutrients and other contributing factors which would inhibit Normal Thyroid function.

Alternative Medicine offers a huge array of tools to help anyone with hypothyroidism or suspected under active Thyroid. A few of which have been mentioned in this article, but there are many more. Even the autoimmune condition of Hashimotos can be significantly supported.

A considerably more accurate way of assessing an underactive Thyroid is the Thyroflex Test.

A number of Alternative Medicine therapists and Doctors have reverted to using this test as a way of assessing and monitoring Changes in Thyroid Hormone output.

The combination of accurate overall body assessment ,monitoring and the use of top quality Natural supplements addressing imbalances ,can significantly improve so many of the debilitating symptoms of an under active thyroid .

Hotstone massage therapy is a great way to relieve stress, aid in healing of injured muscles and joints, and remove toxins from the body While there are numerous benefits of hot stone massage treatments, it's a good idea to become familiar with what they are and how they can help you feel better in the long run.

The Basics of Hot Stone Massage Therapy

When a person enjoys the relaxing work of a massage, the underlying principle is to help the muscles to relax. When we are stressed, whether through overly exerting ourselves physically or having enormous emotional pressure for extended periods of time, our muscles tend to become tense, cramped, and tight.

Massage is one of the oldest forms of treatment that allows our muscles to become more relaxed. When muscles are tight, they also place increased pressure on joints and ligaments, which can lead to arthritis and other physical ailments.

Hot stone massage takes regular massage one step further. Stones are heated in water for use during the treatment session. The heated stones are then placed strategically upon the body in places that are intended to provide the greatest advantage (relief) to the muscles. It is also intended to evoke kundalini energy within the body.

When the muscles are exposed to these heated stones, it becomes more relaxed and ready for the massage treatment, allowing the masseuse to work on the problem areas more effectively and efficiently. As you move through the massage, hot stones are moved to different regions to achieve the greatest benefit.

The Benefits of Hot stone Massage.

One of the most common benefits, and the one that you'll experience right away, is a relaxation of the muscles. Even when you don't feel tension in your back, when you're under stress, it is there. Strategically placed hot stones will immediately begin to relax tight regions, such as those closest to your joints, spine, and highly mobile regions.

Around the shoulder region of your spine, the lower back (lumbar), and along your shoulders are some of the most common tension points within the body. If you've ever rubbed your neck because of stress, it's because your muscles around your upper shoulders and lower neck are tightening up.

Hotstone massage therapy will relax those specific points, giving you the feeling of being refreshed, rejuvenated, and healthy.

A second benefits of hot stone massage is to help alleviate stress. We can't escape stress. Unless you live in a monastery or have figured out a way to detach yourself from society, stress is a part of life. While you may not thing you're stressed in life, the truth surrounds you every moment. Your body will hold stress even when you don't feel it.

Your muscles tighten and it's in these pressure points that the most tension arises. When your muscles are relaxed, suddenly the stress you've been holding onto without realizing it, is allowed to escape, giving your body a fresh start for the coming days, weeks, or even longer.

Hot stone massage also reduces pain in your body. This is one of the most common reasons why people seek out this form of treatment. Muscles place enormous pressure on your joints and other body parts and when that occurs over a longer period of time, you will begin to experience pain. While you may be able to tolerate this pain for a while, it will increase, eventually leaving you unable to perform simple tasks that you once enjoyed.

Through the hot stone massage, when the muscles relax, the tension that is being placed on your joints and ligaments is relieved, which alleviates a great deal of the pain that you're experiencing.

Finally, hotstone massage therapy helps to remove toxins from your body. Tense muscles hold toxins in your system. When your muscles are 'knotted' or tight, circulation is reduced. When circulation is limited, your blood cannot remove the natural toxins that are in your body as efficiently as they should. Heating up your muscles and target regions and then massaging them helps to break up the toxin build-up, allowing them to be carried through the system and removed naturally, the way they are meant to.

While there are many benefits to massage therapy, the most important might be that you attain a better sense of peace during and after the treatment. When you want to feel refreshed and rejuvenated, then hotstone massage therapy could be the answer you're looking for.

A balanced Ph is critical for health and yet it seems to be getting harder to achieve and maintain a healthy balance.The body works hard to maintain a healthy acid /alkaline balance but so much of our western diet is acid and therefore continually challenges the body to be able to achieve this incredibly vital health state.

What is Ph?

Ph is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14, the lower the pH the more acidic, the higher the pH the more alkaline (or base)

When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline it has a pH of 7 which is neutral.In the human body acid is required in the stomach to enable the body to digest foods.The ph of body tissues however need to be alkaline otherwise there is the risk of a variety of illnesses Eg There is a higher risk of

.Weight gain and difficulty losing weight

.Bladder and kidney infections

.Cancer risk

.Aching joints and muscles

.Fatigue

.Bacteria and Fungal infections

Why is it hard to be alkaline?

It is harder to maintain a healthy Ph due to a number of factorsProcessed foods and beverages, sugars some meats and dairy products, most grains are all acid forming.

Therefore the majority of the western diet contributes to an acid system .

There are also other factors such as stress, a sluggish or toxic liver and kidneys and also a sluggish digestive system.

The deficiency of key alkalising minerals such as Magnesium which are depleted in our soils and diet also contribute to a lower PhHow can I test Ph?Ph can be tested by using Ph strips which can test Urine and salivaPh

Saliva and urine Ph levels can differ slightly

Saliva is generally a little more acidic than urine due to the effects of recent food consumption and the presence of acidic bacteria in the mouth.Urine reflects the end result of body processes and can also fluctuateAlthough ideal levels seem to fluctuate depending on different researchersOn average a reading of 6.75 to 7 is ok for saliva and urine from 7.5 upwards.Both urine and saliva ph levels are still only indicators of tissue and blood PH but still give enough information to know whether PH imbalance is present and can be contributing to unwellness and risk factors for chronic illness.Hemaview Live Blood Analysis is another useful tool which gives a snapshot into the health of the blood and there are markers which indicate an acidic PH

How Can I Alkalise?

Diet is key to alkalising and addressing stress, digestion, nutritional imbalances are also critical.There are some very useful supplements such as Magnesium and green drinks.

You can also get formulas which are alkalising salts which can be useful while the body is rebalancing itself through Diet etc and to have on hand to get the Ph back in balance quickly after eating an acidic foods or coping with excess stress.At Rotorua Health and Spa we test urinary and salivary Ph and use Hemaview Live Blood Screening and the Scio Energy Scan to help get insights into Ph levels along with other key Markers of Health.These tests are performed in a Naturopathic consultation.

It is true you can't change your genes, but you can definitely affect their expression and influence in your body with the right nutrition, exercise and lifestyle choices.There isn't a one fits all panacea for health as we are all uniquely different.

So How Do We Know What's Right For Us?

Personalised Genotype Profiling offers a profound insight into how your body responds to its environment and the information is so powerful it allows you to understand your body and influence your health and wellbeing in a way previously not possible .Understanding your genetic predispositions takes the guess work out of achieving health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.This approach is based on the science of nutrigenomics which looks at the interaction between your genotype ,nutrition and lifestyle choices and how these influence gene expression.

Why I use Fitgenes Genetic Screening Profiles.

Fitgenes target genetic markers that can be modified by the lifestyle choices we make.Although science can map a person's entire genome it's not helpful if you can't identify the variants within those genes and also know what you can do to modify the genetic response.Fitgenes focus is on the philosophy that your overall health ,wellbeing and performance are primarily determined by the basic building blocks of your body and the messages that your genes send and the messages that are sent to the genes from our lifestyle choices.For example every time we eat ,our food is having a conversation with our genes and therefore influencing genetic expression.

.HEALTH AND WELLBEING GENETIC PROFILE

This genetic screening profile tests a select range of genes that have a key influence on Health and Wellbeing .Genes tested, play key roles in the cause of all chronic disease.The best news about this Genetic profile is once you know what is really going on at your DNA/Genetic level you can make the right choices for your body to obtain great health and longevity.You have a road map for yourself for life. You will know what kinds of foods would be better for you and you won't waste money on the wrong kinds food and lots of supplements that you don't need and could even be doing you harm. Best of all you can focus on what is going to make the biggest difference to your health and longevity.

You can focus on the best foods for you and use specialised supplementation which directly targets what you need. You will know what exercise is best for you and even what time of the day is the best for you to exercise .

Imagine how you could feel ,if you knew at this level what your body needed to be the best it can be.You only do this genetic screening profile once as your genes don't change but you have the power to influence whether they work with you or seemingly against you.You will get a detailed DNA Analysis which is clear and concise. I will go through the report with you and work out a health plan based on your unique genetic blueprint.

The following key areas are covered in your profile

Cellular Defence- How your body protects cells and DNA from damage caused by oxidative stress.Oxidative stress leads to ageing and premature ageing and underlies all disease processes including cardiovascular disease ,dementia ,diabetes and cancer development.Detoxification- How well is your liver and cells detoxifying.?The health of our bodies is also dependent on how well we are able to clear waste products and toxins from our cells. Toxins include those we are exposed to environmentally such as pesticides and other pollutants but the cells also create waste products which need to be cleared to ensure the health of the cell. Toxins have been linked to many of the chronic illness we see todayInflammation- your body's natural defence mechanism . How well does your body control inflammation?Health and wellbeing is critically dependent on this inflammatory response being well regulated and operating correctly. A body that can't control inflammation can be at risk for all the chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and arthritis and more.Vitamin D Receptors- Are you able to absorb this key vitamin?This has a key influence on immunity, nervous system, bone health, skin and influences approx 900 other genes.Methylation and Homocysteine Metabolism- Are your cells efficient with this key cellular reaction in our cells which impacts so much in our health and disease risk?This crucial biochemical pathway has a huge impact on Dementia risk ,mood disorders, cardiovascular disease ,hormone imbalances ,infertility and toxicity.Cardiovascular Health - Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 cause of death globally.What is your actual and real cardiovascular risk ? Too many people are told the wrong information on their risks based on limited parameters.Knowing how your genes respond to blood pressure, your vasular health,homocystein,methylation along with inflammation and other markers , you will have a true indication on your cardiovascular health and be able to make the best decisions in this crucial area of health.Fat Metabolism and CholesterolYou have genes that influence appetite control, satiety , cholesterol regulation, energy production and metabolism. Knowing how your genes respond will help you make the best decisions around food and exercise for successful weight management and overall health.

CARB CHOICE AMY 1 GENE TEST

Fitgenes has developed a genetic screening profile called Carb Choice, based on your AMY 1 Gene

AMY 1 is a gene that produces the enzyme amylase which is found in our saliva.. This enzyme plays a major role in digesting starch. It also influences amylase from the pancreas which is involved in carbohydrate digestion.The Carb Choice genetic profile tells you how your body responds to starch from carbohydrate.This information will allow you to accurately make the best dietary choices for you.